NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: The Rangers avoided arbitration with center Derick Brassard, re-signing him to a five-year, $25 million contract. It’s also a staggered deal, in which the 26-year-old receives “$7 million this season, $6 million in 2015-16, $5 million in 2016-17, and $3.5 million in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.” The deal also carries a limited no-trade clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That just shy of the NY Post’s Larry Brooks’ prediction Brassard’s new deal would be between $5.2 – $5.6 million annually. The deal may seem a little high, but given the rising cap, it’s the going rate for a second-line center with three 40-plus point seasons on his resume.

Last season Brassard ranked among the Rangers’ leaders in power-play points (second overall with 18), game-winning goals (four, tied for third), points (fourth with 47), shots on goal (sixth with 159) and hits (sixth with 124). He also had a solid 2014 playoff performance, with 12 points in 23 games, including two game-winning goals.

Only 26, Brassard is entering his playing prime. If he continues playing as well as he did this past season, he’ll be worth that new deal.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres have re-signed forward Luke Adam to a one-year, two-way contract. Adam has played parts of four seasons with the Sabres.

WASHINGTON POST: Capitals forward Joel Ward talks about being reunited with Barry Trotz, his former coach with the Nashville Predators.

CJAD 800: Former NHL player Patrick Cote has been imprisoned for 30 months after confessing to a pair of bank robberies in Quebec. Cote played parts of six NHL seasons with the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers from 1996-07 to 2000-01.

3 Comments

mongo1732
on July 28, 2014 at 1:51 pm

Ex-NHL’er serving time for robbery.
Now referred to as Patrick Caught-Eh ?

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